The Hero, Part III
by TK21775
Summary: The last and final story to the Hero trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the third and final installment to The Hero story line, hope everyone enjoys it and let me know what you think.**

Ryan gazed out across the wide open campus, enjoying the day as the sun shone down brightly on him with the afternoon breeze providing just the right amount of air to keep from being hot. This had become one of his favorite times of the day, especially with the weather being just as it was. He was sitting by himself on an old wooden bench, his back towards the parking lot so that the view in front of him was of the campus. Students were hurrying from one class to the next across the grounds, some were playing Frisbee as their classes were done for the day while others sat on a blanket spread out on the lawn and visited with new classmates and friends. It was peaceful sitting here, a new change of environment that he so desperately needed, and unless he introduced himself to someone, no one knew who he was, where he came from, or what his past history contained.

Graduation from high school had been completed nearly five years ago. They had escaped Harbor, in more ways than one, and had come out more educated, more mature, and more aware of life. He had heard people in the dorms or around campus talking about how they would love to go back to high school, re-live the experience all over again now that they were wiser to the world, but for him, he never wanted to go back. There were moments he loved about his time back then - meeting the Cohens, escaping from Chino, finding Marissa – but after what had happened he knew that living in the moment was much better than looking back at the past.

Seth and Summer had gone off to the East Coast, putting as much distance between them and Newport as they possibly could without actually leaving the country. Ryan saw them seldom, hardly at all if the holidays didn't count but he knew that they were both doing well together. Seth was trying to get his comic book off the ground and published, pouring more effort into it than Ryan had seen him combined all the years he knew him. Summer was preparing to take over the fashion world, creating her own designs that she promised would be the latest fashion trends in no time at all. Ryan had expected them to move back soon after they graduated from college but to his disappointment, not to mention the dismay of Kirsten, they both decided to stay where they were for the time being and see what they could do with their lives.

Ryan's thoughts were broken as the favorite time of his day began. He looked across the grounds, feeling her presence that far away and watched as she cut through the lawn to where he waited. Every eye was on her as she passed by, the Frisbee sailing through the air moments ago falling to the ground as it had been forgotten. She turned her head, causing her long shinning hair to flip off her shoulder and bounce back into place, her face radiating into a smile the moment she saw him. At first Ryan had been jealous of all the looks she got but she was oblivious to them and always found her way straight to him, her smile only glowing brightly in his direction. He loved the moment that she would see him as he waited for her to get out of class so that they could go home together, something about the way her face lit up every time and causing his knees to shake yet. He thought that after all this time together that the chemistry they shared would soon fade away; the butterflies in his stomach would quiet when he looked at her, but each time was like the first time for the both of them.

After graduation the two of them had decided to put college off for a year, taking the extra time to go travel abroad. They spent the year traveling, sailing, hiking, taking trains to all different and exotic places. Where ever they wanted to go, they went without looking back. At first Ryan had thought that it was adventurous, they were simply enjoying life to the fullest before they went back to reality and the rest of their lives but after several months he knew that wasn't the case. They were both running away from their lives, not wanting to go back to the nightmares that had haunted them for so long. Once they both realized this, their relationship strengthening during the process, they enrolled in college near Newport and confronted their demons head on together. After nearly four years, Ryan couldn't say that they had gone away, but the time in-between those moments was growing farther and farther apart. He knew that they would never be rid of them, there was no way a person could forget the things they had seen, but they had learned how to live with it and that was better than before.

"Miss me?" she asked, giving him a quick kiss as he stood up to greet her.

"Always," he responded, returning the favor, "How was class?"

"I've got a twenty page report to be turned in after break," she exclaimed, rolling her eyes in disgust, "How the hell is a person suppose to go off on Christmas break with that in the back of their mind?"

"We've got a few days before we have to head back to Newport," Ryan tried to help, pulling her close with his arm around her waist, "and if Seth hears you say Christmas while he's back you'll never hear the end of it."

"Oh, Summer's coming back!" she replied happily, her mood changing faster than the pace back to their apartment, "I almost forgot that I'll actually get to see her in a few days instead of just talking on the phone!"

"Make it sound like you've got nobody back here to spend time with," Ryan pouted, or tried to as best as his seldom used expressions would allow.

She slipped her arm around his, snuggling her body closer as they walked as she laughed off his comment. After everything they had gone through both apart and together, just knowing that he would hold her tight and make jokes was as good as it got for her. There had been times that she truly believed they would never be able to laugh again but yet, here they were. Somehow she had found this amazing man and for some reason he loved her back and as she thought of this, which she frequently did, she stopped him on the sidewalk and engaged in a long, romantic kiss with him.

"Can't wait till we get back to the apartment?" he asked as they broke apart, his breath being taken away as he was caught off guard by her action.

"I figured there was no time like the present to tell you that I love you," she remarked, kissing him again quickly before she took his arm again to continue walking.

…

Ryan unlocked their apartment, opening the door to allow Marissa in before he followed. Their apartment wasn't much, a tiny space that allowed for a couch and television, a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom but to them it was home. It was small and cozy, allowing them to remain close no matter what part of the apartment they were in, and somewhere along the lines they had begun referring to it as home. They didn't need large mansions to live in as they had spent during their high school years, just a place big enough for the two of them since that was what mattered to them.

"Hey Ry, can you grab the mail while I jump in the shower? I want to head down to the library yet tonight and get this paper completely finished before Summer gets here," Marissa called out to him as she walked down the hall to their bedroom.

Ryan tossed his book bag down on the couch before turning around to retrieve the mail that they should have gotten before going up the four flights of stairs. He fumbled with the key for awhile, having always stuck since they moved in, and emptied out their mailbox. Normally it was always junk mail or flyers along with Marissa's never ending supply of magazines that carried everything from the current gossip to the current trends and he shuffled through the pile quickly as he once again headed up the flights of stairs to their apartment. Reaching the door he noticed that an envelope addressed to him was sandwiched in the middle of a carry-out guide to a new restaurant near-by and their telephone bill.

He threw the stack down on the counter, wondering again as he did each month why they paid for a telephone bill when they never used the phone. If they needed to call someone, they each had their cell phones and the only time their apartment phone was ever used was by telemarketers. Marissa had insisted that they get one though; believing that a phone made them domesticated and if she wanted a phone, he made sure she got one. His mind wandered back to the letter, wondering who it was from since he didn't recognize the handwriting on it but he heard the shower running and as his thoughts wandered to Marissa and her absolutely amazing body, the letter was soon forgotten as he realized that a shower might not be a bad thing for him as well.

…

A few hours later, Ryan sat across the table from Marissa in the library, watching her as her attention was focused on the books lying open in front of her. He was done with school, his last final taken earlier this afternoon and there was no subject or book better than what he was already looking at. She was completely absorbed in the book, her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration with a pencil between her lips. Ryan never believed himself to be a mushy, romantic guy but he could stare at her all day and never get bored from it. Everything about her was perfect and yet, she was with him, declaring her love for him over and over throughout the years. How he had managed to grow up in Chino and still be here, in college with a beautiful woman next to him he wasn't sure and as long as it remained true, he really didn't care.

With the Chrismakkuh season coming upon them, he knew that she needed to get her paper done so that she could enjoy the time off. With Seth coming home, the holiday season was only going to be that much more intense, their days filled with errands and lists of things to accomplish as he tried to pull off a bigger event each year. While never liking the holiday season very much, probably because instead of presents and cheer it was more like beatings and booze, he had begun to enjoy this time of year with the Cohens. Everything was different when you had a family that cared about you, wanted you to come home so that they could see you and with Marissa added in, he had one of the greatest families ever.

Glancing at his watch, seeing that they hadn't even been at the library for more than an hour already, he realized that continuing to stare at Marissa wasn't going to pass the time any faster even though he could do it for hours. He decided to pass the time doing something constructive, hoping that she would get enough done quickly so that they could head back home. Remembering the letter, he reached for the back pocket of his jeans and pulled it out. Scanning for a return address, he found none on it and his curiosity arose again. He tore the back of it open, revealing a letter with the same penmanship that was on the front, the letter starting with a Dear Ryan so he knew that it wasn't a mistake that he received it.

He began reading the letter, his eyes quickly going over the words written and a loud gasp escaped out of him as the words hit him. His eyes dropped down to the bottom, confirming who he thought it had been sent from after just a few sentences were read, the letter falling quietly onto the table from a mixture of shock and anger. Realizing what had just happened, he tried to pick it back up and act normal before Marissa saw his reaction but as his eyes fell onto her again, he saw that he was too late.

"Ry, what's wrong? Who's the letter from?" she asked concerned, noticing that his face had gone pale and his breathing had quickened.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to **thekiller00, RJMoonspell4, Juzzy88, newportgirl22, Girlz-Rule, saxamofone, and nemo123489 **for all of the reviews. I rewrote this a few times because I didn't like it, still don't too much, but the next few posts should be easier and more fun to write. Let me know what you think**

"Ryan? Who's the letter from?" Marissa asked again, her studies forgotten at the moment.

"It's from Neil," he answered, still staring at the sheet of paper as if it might jump off of the table and attack him at any second.

Just as his thoughts had moments ago, Marissa's rewound back to that day of senior year which had started out like any other day. She remembered being disappointed that she wouldn't see Ryan that day as Seth was taking him to the airport and he would be gone for an entire week. She had told him the day before that she still loved him and that she would wait for him for as long it took, although secretly hoping that when he came back things between them would work out. The next thing she remembered there were students running around screaming, loud bangs could be heard in the hallway and Summer grabbing her hand as they escaped into the science lab. She had been terrified while they remained hiding, wondering what was happening outside of the classroom but not wanting to have to go out and look. Then Ryan had shown up and saved everyone in the room as he traded his captivity for their freedom. That had been the worst part, waiting outside knowing Ryan was locked inside a room with the gunman. The wait had been the longest in her life, not knowing if he was safe or had been hurt and their fights and arguments all now seemed so stupid and petty. She hadn't realized the capacity of love she felt for him until that day and when she found him in the pool house later that night she vowed to never lose him again.

Ryan's gaze seemed transfixed on the letter as he hoped that it was all just a bad dream and it would soon disappear. He had suffered through enough nightmares since that day for them to begin all over again, having to relive the sights he saw in the hallway and thinking he was going to die before the police showed up. He hadn't even stopped having nightmares about Eddie at that time and then the shooting happened. If it hadn't been for Marissa he didn't know how he would have made it through that point of his life. She had been the one that helped him with it all, making him share his feelings when it became almost too much, reassuring him at night when he woke up in a sweat, going back into the school so that they could graduate and be done with the . He had thought maybe the worst was behind them, they had learned how to live their life now without those memories taking control of them but this letter had opened up those doors they had worked so hard on closing.

"What does he want?" Marissa asked as her voice finally felt like it would work, "Why is he writing you after all this time?"

"He wants me to come visit him," Ryan answered, the words making the situation real now as the thoughts of this being a dream vanished into thin air.

"Why would he want you to come visit him? He killed ten students that day; he nearly killed you that day!" Marissa yelled as her emotions took control, not remembering they were in a library.

"It doesn't matter," Ryan said picking up the sheet of paper before crumbling it into a tiny ball, throwing it away in the trash can as they exited the library to go back to their apartment and carry on with their lives.

…

"Are you ready to go back home?" Marissa asked Ryan on her way past the couch where he was seated idly flipping through the channels with the remote.

"Do you have your paper done?" he asked with his eyes fixed on the television set in front of him even though he had been through all of the channels numerous times.

"I am completely done with it," she expressed happily, the weight of her project now off of her conscious so she could enjoy her holiday break.

She leaned back against the kitchen counter so that she could see Ryan on the couch. The letter had upset him more than what he was letting on, he hadn't been acting the same since it arrived. Wanting to have her paper done with before going back home, she at least had an escape so that it wasn't on her mind constantly but Ryan had just been sitting around for the last few days and she could tell he was thinking about what was written in that letter even though she hadn't seen it herself.

She hoped that their trip back to Newport and being around family and friends would be enough to get him through whatever it was he was going through. She wanted to be there for him and for him to come to her with things like this but she had learned over the years that he would talk when he was ready and it didn't speed up the process any by trying to force him. They had gotten past so much since that night on the beach, their relationship grown stronger with each obstacle, but lately things had been going smoothly and it felt good not to have any drama in their life. She had grown rather fond of their normal lifestyle and wanted to keep it that way for as long as she could.

"Have you packed yet?" she asked him, hoping to get more of a response out of him this time as she walked over to where he sat and dropped herself into his lap.

"I figured I would wait for awhile until you were ready since it takes me five minutes to pack and you a few hours," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her as she laid her head back next to his.

"That's because my wardrobe consists of a little more than just jeans and wife beaters," she giggled as he began tickling her, "Some of us have more of a fashion sense than others."

"Are you saying that you don't like my choice of clothing?" he asked as she stood up.

"That depends," she smiled, sitting back down so that she was facing him straddling his legs, "I can't make a decision on that unless I know what I'm wearing."

She smiled seductively as she leaned in, their lips joining together as if they were drawn magnetically. Sparks shot from where her lips touched down to his feet like every time she kissed him, the romance and physical attraction having grown only stronger instead of lessening over time. He returned the kiss, his lips hungry for more contact with hers as his arms slid around her waist to pull her in closer.

"We're going to be really late tonight if we don't pack now," she whispered to him while his mouth worked on her neck, pushing her body into his.

"I've got about two more seconds of self-control left in my body," Ryan warned her as she pushed him down onto the couch.

"One, two," she counted while staring into his eyes before falling down on top of him as their lips crashed together.

…

"Ryan!" Kirsten squealed as she opened up the door to reveal her son, wasting no time as she pulled him inside quickly so that she could embrace him.

"Wow, I can see mom has really worked on her greeting skills since I've been away," Seth commented as he came to see who was at the door.

"Marissa, it's always good to see you," Kirsten said as she released Ryan to hug Marissa only to be rushed as a shriek of 'Coop' was heard seconds before Summer came racing into the room to embrace her friend.

The two new arrivals joined their family into the kitchen where they spent the next few hours reuniting over take-out and listening to Seth's newly formed and detailed list of Chrismakkuh plans. It felt like old times again for Ryan, surrounded by the comfort of his family and friends in the house where the best part of his life had begun. The outside world melted away during the dinner, replaced by the laughter and stories from those sitting around the table, the only people whom he truly needed in his life.

Ryan wanted the dinner to go on throughout the night, happy to just sit back and enjoy the warmth and security the people sitting with him brought but too soon the food was gone and the table was cleared. A small argument that would quickly lead to a full rage blackout was taking place on what movie the four of them should watch in the pool house when the outside world barged back into Ryan's life in the form of a letter.

"I almost forgot this came for you a few days ago," Kirsten replied with a smile as she laid the envelope down in front of him.

"Thanks," Ryan said with his eyes attached to the letter, identical to the one that lay in the library garbage can back at school.

"Open it man, whose it from!" Seth exclaimed with too much enthusiasm, not recognizing the shallow, quick breathing and slight shaking that Ryan's body had begun.

"I'll just, um, open it later," Ryan said quickly, stuffing the letter into his pockets without caring how it fit in there, "Probably just a holiday card from Dawn or Trey."

"That is what I love about Chrismakkuh," Seth carried on, unaware of Marissa's concerned looks or Ryan's clenched jaw, "Even people in prison or rehab can celebrate the most festive holiday and find joy in their world."

The word prison triggered Ryan's memories and he was transported back in time to his first day of being expelled. The car ride to the airport, the frantic phone call from Summer, the crowd of concerned parents flocking to the school. He could see the blood that gelled in pools along the hallway floor or that was sprayed along the lockers. He could hear the cries of injured students that lay wounded and the even louder cries of the students who laid still. He was brought back to when he helped Chad escape the school, the same kid who had come up a week later and thanked him and then avoided him like the plague because it reminded him of what happened. The fear entered his body once again, gripping him tightly as it took over, relief from finding Marissa safe only to be stomped out when he was alone with Neil. The nightmares that began, not following the rules of coming only at night, his body paralyzed when they took control of his thoughts.

"Ry…RY!" Marissa's voice brought him back to the present where he was once again sitting amongst his family and friends around the table they had just eaten supper on, his forehead breaking out in a sweat while his lungs tried to slowly go back to normal.

"Hey man, where were you? You looked like you just saw a ghost," Seth said as everyone's attention focused in on Ryan.

"I think I'm going to get some fresh air for a little while," Ryan said, jumping out of his chair quickly before anyone had the chance to follow.

Outside the air was still warm even though the sun had long since disappeared for the night, switching places with the stars. His legs carried him away from the house, away from his thoughts and fears and nightmares. He thought he had stopped running away from his problems but yet here he was again. After five years not much had changed; he was back in Newport and fear was slowly taking control over him.

The sound of the ocean began to grow louder and within minutes he was at the beach. He stripped off the sweatshirt he had been wearing, tossing it down in the sand as he began to run. Out here nothing could get him, nothing could catch him as he ran parallel to the waves crashing into shore. Even in the darkness he could outrun the fear and terror that was threatening him again, pumping his legs faster as the distance grew. The only thing he had left to figure out was when he stopped running, how did he keep that distance?

When his body wouldn't allow him to continue any longer, not able to take the punishment he imposed on it like it once had; he began walking back to his starting point. Along the way he came across the lifeguard stand where his whole life had changed. Instead of continuing on he stopped and walked up the ramp, sitting down against the building as he stared out into the vast ocean. He wanted to stop going backwards, he wanted to remain focused on his future but he wasn't sure how when a letter or a word could suck him back. He wanted the answers to his life and how to move on with it and while thinking about this he finally came to a decision.

He entered the pool house which was dark, slipping around the house to avoid any conversations taking place. He loved his brother but he just didn't have the strength right now to deal with him or his never ending conversations. Shutting the door quietly so that he wouldn't bring any attention to himself, he kicked off his shoes and slipped under the covers only to realize that Marissa had beaten him to the bed.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked after waking out of her light sleep, turning over so that she could rest her head on his chest.

"I went for a run along the beach," he replied as he laid on his back staring up at the ceiling.

"Figure anything out?" she asked and it sounded like she had been crying.

"Yeah I did," he said as he pulled her tighter to his body, running a hand through her hair, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," she answered, "Don't get me wrong, I'm a little worried about what he wants from you and I know that it's been on your mind for awhile now."

"Riss, I just don't want to go back to that time again," Ryan said knowing that she wanted him to open up to her about the way he was feeling with this, "It took a long time to push those memories down deep enough where they didn't surface all of the time but now it's all coming back again."

The two lay there together, holding onto the one person they loved more than life itself as they silently worked out their thoughts. They both had things on their mind that they wanted to sort out before putting them to words for the other to hear, making sure that the decision they made was well thought out and prepared before they spoke which then meant that it was out there and could not be taken back. What they didn't know was that their thoughts were not on the same subject, their fears and troubles steaming from two different situations.

"Ry, there is something that I need to talk to you about," Marissa said, knowing that if she didn't come out and say it now then she didn't know when the next time she would work up enough courage to do so.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to **nemo123489, newportgirl22, Girlz-Rule, saxamofone, and thekiller00 **for your reviews, let me know what you think of this one.**

Ryan looked into her brilliant blue eyes hoping that he could just lose himself into them like so many countless times before but instead of sparkling and brilliant they were pleading with him. He hated hearing what she had just said, 'I think we need to talk.' Nothing that followed ever ended good when a person said that, meaning that there is something serious and not just a simple how was your day. When he nearly lost Marissa because he wouldn't open up to her after Eddie's funeral he promised that he would try to talk to her about his feelings and open up more than he had in the past. For the most part he succeeded, it was always going to be a work in progress for him but he had learned how to reveal enough for both him and Marissa to be happy with. This time was different because he not only didn't want to talk about it with her, he didn't want anything to do with the whole situation himself. He wanted to be done with it once and for all, no more reoccurrences when a letter just happened to show up in your mailbox or your brother not being able to recognize that certain words triggered more of a response from him.

He continued staring at her, his thoughts bouncing all over the places as he did so. One moment he would be thinking how he could avoid the situation until it made sense in his mind and the next he was fascinated with how beautiful she was. She had always been beautiful; the attraction had always been there but over the years she had transformed into a mature woman with confidence and her features grew with her. In the end he knew that he would listen to what she had to say and if she asked something from him he would do it. Some people were addicted to booze, others drugs, in his family it seemed to be both but his weakness was her. He would travel to the ends of the earth, tackle any obstacle, and do whatever it took just to see her smile. She was his Achilles' heel and with that thought he was prepared to talk because if she was his only weak spot, how bad did he really have it?

"Riss I think I'm going to go see him," Ryan said as he took her hand into his, "I don't care what he wants or what he has to tell me, I just want him out of our life. If it takes going to visit him for that to happen, I'll go tomorrow."

"You're not going tomorrow," Marissa told him, her hands going up to his face so that he was concentrated on her.

"Then before we go back to school I'll take a day to drive up and get this over with," he carried on, "The sooner the better."

"Ryan, I didn't think that I would ever say this to you but quit talking," she said with a smile, "You can't go tomorrow because we have other plans."

He began to open his mouth so that he could begin trying to come up with enough excuses on why it wasn't a good idea for him to visit her mother but then quickly shut it as her eyebrows arched up in his direction. If she wouldn't let him talk then he would just have to get Seth to cover for him tomorrow knowing his brother already had a list made up of possible excuses for circumstances such as this one.

"I will support whatever decision you make regarding this Neil business, hell I'll even go with you myself for some closure but right now I don't want to talk about that. Tonight after you left I had some time to myself because Summer had one of her rage black-outs on Seth and his lack of perception skills and Sandy and Kirsten ran to hide from the outburst and what I'm trying to really tell you is that –"

"Hey you're back!" Seth greeted with a small wave upon barging into the pool house before sticking his hand back out the door, "They're not naked, it's safe to come in."

Ryan groaned at the sound of his brother wondering how the kid could manage to have the worst timing skills of anybody on the planet. Even some small manners such as knocking before entering or whispering inappropriate comments so that all didn't have to hear would be a step-up but he wasn't going to hold his breath for that day to come. Instead he sat up in bed with Marissa doing the same as Seth and Summer came into the pool house. The two girls began chatting instantly as if a conversation had been taking place between them for the last hour which forced Ryan off of the bed and into a chair so that he could block most of it out.

"So does anyone want to go pick out a tree?" Seth asked, clapping his hands to get the attention of the two girls who carried on, "We need to get there early before people start trampling and knocking all the needles off of the trees."

"Seth, it's nearly ten," Ryan told him and then after a wondering look from his brother added, "at night, ten p.m."

"That's just it Ryan, we could be the first ones there if they let us in tonight and I've got the hook-up with the owner so it shouldn't be a problem but Chrismakkuh is starting to catch on so there might already be people shopping for their tree which means that we should probably get going," Seth rambled on as Ryan wondered what actually went on in his brother's head.

As the rant sustained and the two girls constant chatter continued Ryan knew exactly what he wanted for Chrismakkuh this year. He would have to catch Kirsten before she went shopping tomorrow but at least he could offer her a suggestion which he seldom did because there wasn't much that he needed. Knowing that his headache would only continue to grow in size and strength if he continued sitting in the pool house any longer, he stood up and agreed with Seth that now was the perfect time to go pick out a tree even though it was just an excuse for silence and a change of scenery.

The four piled into the car, Seth and Summer taking the front seat since Seth believed that he was in charge of everything related to Chrismakkuh while Ryan sat next to Marissa in the back. She slipped her hand into his as she gazed at him, resting her head on his shoulder while they drove.

"What were you trying to tell me?" he asked so that only she could hear him.

"I'll tell you later," she responded, her thumb rubbing up and down his hand, "It's something that I want to say in private."

After two hours of walking around the tree yard, examining each and every tree available for sale numerous times, and arguments between Seth and Summer, Seth finally agreed upon a tree that met his approval and they were back on their way home. Ryan was exhausted from the day's events – the long drive back home, their supper, his run, and now the dreaded tree shopping excursion but his thoughts wouldn't let him rest. His curiosity tried to figure out what it was that Marissa wanted to tell him while trying to figure out the same about Neil. He had been looking forward to his holiday break from school to relax and unwind with his loved ones but if the first day was any indication as to what the holiday would bring, a refreshing break was not going to happen.

…

"So what does everyone want to do today?" Summer asked as the four were occupying the pool house, leaving Ryan no time alone with Marissa for the two of them to finish their earlier conversation.

"We could go catch a movie at the I-max Theater," Seth suggested dodging the pillow that was flung across the room at him by Summer.

"Or we could tape our glasses together, put pocket protectors on and begin reading the encyclopedia," she replied back sarcastically, "We hardly ever get to see each other anymore. We need to go do something fun, make the most of our time together during this vacation."

"We could go shopping," Marissa spoke up, her words directed at Summer since the two girls usually got what they wanted when the put up a united front.

"NO!" Seth yelled, waving his arms up and down, "I absolutely one-hundred percent refuse to go shopping."

Before the two boys figured out what had hit them they were carrying bags of all shapes, color, and sizes while following their girlfriends around the shopping mall. Ryan wasn't sure what had happened, it was all a blur in his mind as to how they had gotten here and how long they had been shopping. Struggling he remembered Marissa's smile as she walked over to him in the pool house, her hands rubbing against his chest, her lips against his and then it was all a blank until now. Looking over at Seth for help he saw that his brother wore the same puzzled look on his face as he was sure he did.

"Ryan, Ryan, what happened and why am I carrying all these bags?" Seth whispered, his eyes darting back and forth between Ryan and Summer as he attempted to keep his voice low so that the girls wouldn't hear.

"Let's go bring these to the car," Ryan suggested, lifting up the bags that were hanging from his arms.

After the two had informed their girlfriends what they were going to do they searched the parking lot for their vehicle which was rather difficult as neither of them had any recollection of driving to the mall or parking. After walking up and down rows of parking spots they finally succeeded in finding their SUV and freed their arms of the packages. Wanting to avoid going back into the mall they took their time walking through the parking lot, enjoying the perfect California weather.

Eventually they knew that they would have to enter back into the battle zone and reluctantly they walked through the front doors. With the large crowd of people shopping for the holidays, it would be easy to say they had gotten lost and decided to wait by the vehicle in hopes that the girls would find them there but Seth was terrified of Summer's rage black-outs and opted for wandering the dreaded mall than dealing with her wrath later on. Passing all of the different stores in their feeble attempt at finding the girls just so that they could carry more packages, one in particular caught Ryan's eye and for the first time in his life he made the decision to actually go shopping without anyone dragging him along.

…

Looking out at the ocean, the water black and mysterious at this hour of night, Ryan sat holding his one true love on the lifeguard stand where it had all started. The night's air blew silently past, leaving goose bumps along her arms as the only trace that it had been there and Ryan slipped off his hooded sweatshirt so that she could wear it. The smile he received was more than enough to keep him warm with just his wife beater on; somehow she had found a way to touch him inside like no one else could.

Ditching Seth and Summer after eating at the diner, the place bringing back many memories of the short time together in Newport, they had taken a walk along the beach and ended up here like they usually did. It had become a comfort spot to the both of them which was frequently visited, sometimes alone and other times like tonight, together. It was the perfect place for them to finish their talk that had been put on hold which had been on both of their minds that day.

"So you remember the other night how I was trying to tell you something?" Marissa asked, looking up at his face as she leaned back against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Somehow I've got blank spots in my memory that I'm a little concerned about," Ryan teased, "It's a little scary that you have that power over me."

"Trust me Ry, I only use it for good," she laughed, kissing him softly.

"Well to be honest there are a few things that I want to talk to you about too," he began, wondering how she was going to take his news.

"Should we invite Seth over and video tape the first time Ryan Atwood is going to speak without any prodding or meddling?" she giggled, acting astonished at his revelation.

"I think that this might be more of a private matter between the two of us and I'm a little nervous about how you might react so the less people around the better for me," he told her, getting nervous with each passing second.

"Ryan what is it?" she asked as she turned around to look at him noticing that his voice was serious, "You know you can tell me anything right?"

Ryan sucked in a deep breath, preparing to tell her what could possibly change their entire world, future, relationship. He could feel his hands shaking slightly, needing to tell her what he had come up with the last few days being back in Newport but terrified of how she would react. Gathering up the courage he needed he took her hand in his, looked deep into her eyes and opened his mouth to speak, "Marissa."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to **thekiller00, RJMoonspell4, newportgirl22, Girlz-Rule, nemo123489, and michelle1249 **for the reviews. Sorry this took so long to update, been gone and busy for quite awhile now. Let me know what you think.**

"Marissa," he began, knowing exactly what he wanted to say but not quite sure of how to say it, hoping the words would just come to him if he opened his mouth, "Ever since the day that I ran into you in this spot I knew that you were somebody special. We've both come a long way since that day but my love for you has only grown. What I'm trying to say is that I don't want a single day of my life to go by without you in it. Will you marry me?"

He heard her breath suck in loudly, her hands flying up to the mouth that had dropped open after hearing his words. Kneeling down on one knee as was the formal way of asking such a question as the one that had just escaped his lips, he dug into his pants pocket and produced a black jewelry box which he had purchased during their shopping excursion. The tears forming in the corners of her eyes knocked down his confidence as he looked up at her, holding the box which he opened to reveal a brilliant diamond engagement ring.

"Marissa Cooper, will you be my wife starting today for the rest of our lives?" he asked, shaking slightly as he waited for her answer, her large round eyes wet with tears making him wonder if he had rushed this decision.

Before he could think too much more about whether or not they were rushing things, even though for him he could have asked her this years ago, she threw her arms tightly around him. She squeezed so hard that his vision was cloudy but the relief and joy inside of him overcame any discomfort. When they finally broke apart, she had the most radiant smile on her face that Ryan had ever seen, one that stole his breath away and let him know that they would be together forever.

"Yes I'll marry you Ryan Atwood," she said, holding out her left hand for him to slip on the ring, "I just want to know what took you so damn long?"

He smiled as he slipped the ring onto her finger, a symbol for everyone to see that the two of them were linked forever. Never before had he been happier, more than a dream coming true to him at this very moment. Growing up in Chino people didn't think about getting married or their future so the thought that it would ever happen to him was never a thought in his mind. Seeing her though and how happy she looked as her face glowed while looking at the new merchandise on her finger, he knew that this was what he wanted and the perfect person in which to do it with.

She kissed him softly, wanting to convey her feelings to him in a sweet gesture that was not forcefully or impulsive but loving and delicate. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face though as Ryan had just made her the happiest woman anywhere in the world. She had been waiting for this day to come, waiting for him to finally realize that they were destined to be together to share life's experiences and now that he had, she overflowed with joy and love for him and for the them.

"So I know that you wanted to tell me something as well," Ryan said as they resumed their position sitting down with Marissa resting her back into his chest, "I just really needed to get that out before I became too nervous."

"Why would you be nervous about asking me to marry you?" she asked, holding out her hand so that she could stare at her ring some more.

"I'm not sure really," he said, kissing her on the top of the head, "It's not like I'm insecure about our relationship but it's just a really big question to throw out there and you know me and words don't always have such a good outcome together."

"Well there is something I do need to tell you," she said, sitting up and turning around so that they were now sitting cross-legged in front of each other, "After what had just happened this might be a little easier to tell you now but I'm still just a little nervous like you were."

"Marissa, the only thing that you could say to me right now that would get a negative reaction out of me is by taking off that ring and saying you've changed your mind," he promised, rubbing his hands up and down her legs as she shivered slightly from the cooling wind.

"I know this is a little soon but since we're beginning to start our life as a family tonight, I think we can add one more to the group," she said, watching his face to see what type of reaction she would receive out of him, worried just as he was earlier to how he would respond to her news.

Ryan waited for her to continue, unaware to why telling him what ever was on her mind was so hard for her. They had both tried to communicate with each other more thoroughly than they had in the past, especially given their track record. It was when they didn't talk that things became complicated between them and they both knew that wasn't what they wanted. They had shown that tonight by committing to one another for the rest of their lives. When she simply waited and watched, his mind began replaying her words and after several seconds that felt like decades, her words began to sink in and he realized her meaning. She had finished telling him what she wanted; he just hadn't gotten the message as quickly.

His eyes grew wide as she saw that he finally understood what she had said, his breathing quickening until the largest smile she had ever seen spread across his face. No matter what he said now mattered to her, what mattered was seeing the reaction that first appeared on his face after hearing the news.

"We're going to have a baby?" he asked just to make sure they were on the same page here.

"Yes, we're pregnant," she exclaimed, not realizing how happy she was to hear him say we instead of her.

"Me and you, we're going to have a baby?" he asked again, the news completely taking him by surprise as he grabbed her hands into his.

"In seven months Ryan, me and you will be holding our little girl or boy in our arms," she reassured him moments before he wrapped his arms around her into a tight embrace.

"This might be the most life changing night of my life, at least I hope it is because I don't know if I can handle anymore," he said before his lips found hers.

…

"Rise and shine love birds," Seth called out as he swung open the pool house door, a look of childlike excitement on his face before he saw the two of them in bed, "Come on guys, at least cover up a little more!"

"There's this thing called knocking," Ryan replied as he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, "You should really start trying it sometime."

"Ryan, today is the day, it's Chrismakkuh and I won't let you or your indisposed bodies ruin this for me," Seth sang out cheerfully, peeking between his fingers to make sure that their would be no more flashes of flesh if he uncovered his eyes.

"It's also six in the morning," Marissa called out from underneath her pillow, exhausted from the excitement as well as the celebration from the night before.

"I know, I can't believe Summer isn't here yet but we'll give her five more minutes and then we'll just have to start opening presents without her," Seth replied as he checked his watch, tapping his foot impatiently.

Before Ryan could find a pillow or better yet in his opinion, a harder object to throw at his brother, he heard heels clicking outside and knew that there would be no possibility for more sleep that morning. The only thing he wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep, wake up much later than now, and then proceed to spend the rest of the day in bed with Marissa who was not only his fiancée but the mother of his child. Just the thought of last night brought back a smile to his face, one that he couldn't get rid of when he thought back to their night on the lifeguard stand.

"What's got you so happy Chino?" Summer asked as she entered the pool house, coming over and sitting down at the end of the bed.

"Chrismakkuh baby!" Seth moaned as if it were the obvious reason, "Does anyone besides me realize the importance of today and are ready to take full advantage of the most sacred of holidays that we are experiencing?"

"No Seth," Summer said waving a hand in his direction to shut him up, "There's something going on here besides some made-up holiday."

"Maybe the fact that neither one have clothes on underneath the sheets has something to do with Ryan's orgasmic smile," Seth said chuckling to himself at his own cleverness.

"Who's not dressed yet?" Kirsten asked as she entered the pool house, covering her eyes with the two cups of coffee she had carried in.

Ryan groaned to himself as Summer proceeded to jump off the bed and Kirsten hesitantly inched farther into the pool house still with her eyes hidden. This time he gave into his growing desire and grabbed the pillow Marissa was hiding under, heaving it in the direction of Seth which proved to be quite accurate. He looked over at Marissa who was scowling at him for allowing the early morning sunlight to stream down on her, pulling the sheet up farther so that only her head appeared from underneath.

"Nobody is indisposed Kirsten," Ryan said, hoping she would open her eyes before tripping over the clothes that lay on the floor.

"I still say something is going on here that we are unaware about," Summer said, studying both Ryan and Marissa who now had a large smile plastered to her face as well, "We can do this the hard way or the easy way and Seth, shut up before you make any comment about that."

Ryan gratefully accepted the two cups of coffee that Kirsten brought over to the bed, handing one over to Marissa as he took a long sip from his. When he was done he looked up to see three faces studying the two of them closely and he realized that with only a sheet covering him up that he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his own bed. When it didn't look like any of the three were going to quit analyzing anytime soon he set down his coffee mug.

"I've got to go to the bathroom so I'll give everyone until the count of five to get out before you see something you don't want to," he warned, taking a hold of the sheet to pull it back, "One…"

The first number sent Kirsten and Summer running for the door, both too embarrassed to stay and find out if he was serious or not while not surprisingly, Seth remained in the chair. Ryan continued his countdown, raising his eyebrows at his brother to say that he really meant to be walking around the room in just a few seconds but it still did nothing to empty the pool house.

"Seth, get the hell out of here," he yelled after reaching the magical number of five.

"First tell me what you two are hiding," his brother debated, "I can sit here all day but eventually you'll need to use that bathroom."

"Fine," Ryan said, causing Marissa to look up suddenly to hear what he would say.

Instead Ryan pulled back the sheets that were hiding his lack of clothing and proceeded to the bathroom, closing the door to the sound of his brother yelling as he exited the pool house. Chrismakkuh was already starting off as more than just any ordinary day.

…

Twenty minutes later and more importantly to the other members of his family, Ryan and Marissa emerged from the pool house fully clothed and joined everyone in the kitchen. Their mood from last night carried over between the two of them, not even Seth who was standing with his head underneath the sink faucet rising out his eyes could dampen their spirits. In fact the reaction only made them smile wider as they stood waiting for bagels with their arms around each other.

"Morning kids," Sandy announced as he handed them each a plate with their respective taste in bagels, "Nice ring Marissa."

Suddenly Ryan felt himself being attacked, hands flying everywhere around him and then he was pulled out of the maddening dash by none other than the bagel king himself. He watched as Kirsten and Summer yanked at Marissa's hand while jumping up and down, laughing, yelling, and making high pitched noises all at the same time. He wasn't sure how she wanted people to find out or how soon but as he watched her hug the other females in the room, her smile captivating and the joy written across her face, it didn't really matter. The only thing that did was that she was the happiest he had seen her.

"Congratulations kiddo," Sandy commented above the noise, shaking Ryan's hand before pulling him into a hug.

"Finally you people are realizing the importance of Chrismakkuh and the miracles that can occur if one does believe," Seth yelled as he raised his hands in the air, finally removing his head from the sink and witnessing the spectacle happening though not for the reasons he believed.


End file.
